Wilton Park Meeting on New African Thinking Held in February 2015;
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Programme Peacebuilding in Africa: developing African approaches Monday 14 – Wednesday 16 March 2016 | WP1417 To be held in Addis Ababa New challenges in the current African security terrain threaten established frameworks and existing capacity and approaches of both the United Nations and African organisations. A paradigm shift is required to unlock the potential of these actors to overcome the challenges to building and sustaining peace in Africa. An earlier meeting, ‘Peacebuilding in Africa: evolving challenges, responses and new African thinking’, began the process of consolidating African perspectives on peacebuilding, identifying recommendations and also critical points for further elaboration and exploration. Building on these discussions, and capitalising on holding this second meeting in Addis Ababa, the headquarters of the African Union, it aims to: Develop further the findings of, and allow policy-makers and practitioners to respond to issues raised in, the first Wilton Park meeting on new African thinking held in February 2015; ‘Road test’ these findings, in particular through engagement with regional and sub- regional policy-makers, as well as those involved in global policy formulation; Contribute new perspectives towards policy development on peacebuilding in Africa which can be developed into concrete policy measures by the range of actors involved in peacebuilding. The meeting will also take into account the confluence of three key UN reviews on peace operations, peacebuilding architecture and implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security. Richard Burge, Chief Executive of Wilton Park, will chair the meeting. In association with the African Peacebuilding Network of the Social Science Research Council, New York and the African Leadership Centre With support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York In association with: With support from: 060416 IA Monday 14 March 1500 onwards Participants arrive 1900 Reception followed by dinner Tuesday 15 March 0800-0900 Breakfast 0900-0915 Welcome and introduction Richard Burge Chief Executive, Wilton Park Cyril Obi Program Director, African Peacebuilding Network (APN), Social Science Research Council (SSRC), New York Godwin Murunga Director, African Leadership Centre (ALC); Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi 0915-1015 Keynote address Pierre Buyoya Former President of Burundi; African Union High Representative for Mali and the Sahel; African Union Mission for Mali and the Sahel (MISAHEL), Bamako Respondent: Haile Menkerios Special Representative of the Secretary General to the African Union, United Nations Office to the African Union, Addis Ababa 1015-1130 1. Sustaining peace: the challenge of conflict relapse What accounts for the persistence of conflict relapse? What matters most for the goal of ‘sustaining peace’? How do dominant paradigms and approaches contribute to, reinforce or mitigate the problem of relapse? What are the institutional challenges? What opportunities or challenges do elections and transitions in governance present to mitigate or exacerbate risk of relapse? How to ensure African solutions are found to African problems? Session Chair: Andrea Johnson Program Officer, Higher Education and Research in Africa, Carnegie Corporation of New York Funmi Olonisakin Professor of Security, Leadership and Development, African Leadership Centre (ALC), King’s College London, Member, UN Advisory Group of Experts for the 2015 Review of the Peacebuilding Architecture Khabele Matlosa Director, Political Affairs, African Union Commission, Addis Ababa 1130-1200 Photograph followed by tea/coffee 1200-1330 2. Revisiting the peace and security terrain How do regional political, social and economic drivers affect peacebuilding initiatives at national and regional levels? To what extent does the trend towards asymmetrical conflicts pitting non-state actors against states and civilians affect the conflict landscape? What and where is the framework that connects to the history of a people and their conflict? Who and what project the people’s voices without manipulating ideas of ‘local ownership’ and ‘inclusive peace’? What is the bridge between leaders and people to envisage a desired common future? Session Chair: Doris Voorbraak Deputy Representative to the African Union, Netherlands Embassy, Addis Ababa Comfort Ero Africa Programme Director, International Crisis Group, Nairobi Abubakar Zein Member of Parliament, East African Legislative Assembly, Arusha 1330-1430 Lunch 1500-1630 3. The global agenda in Africa Who and what shapes policy and peacebuilding in Africa? Who are the policy decision makers and who sets priorities for peacebuilding initiatives in Africa? What shapes peacebuilding policies, who implements them and what results do they produce? How do these translate into tangible outcomes on the ground? Session Chair: Monde Muyangwa Director, African Program, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington DC John Ahere Coordinator, Peacebuilding Unit, African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), Durban Olawale Ismail Head of Research, International Alert, London 1630-1700 Tea/coffee 1700-1830 4. Radicalisation and violent extremism in Africa To what extent is the prevalence of militia groups, such as Al Shabaab and Boko Haram, unconventional warfare and terror attacks complicating the conflict and security landscape in Africa? How does transnational terrorism feed on local and national conflicts? What action has been taken by state and non-state actors to counter terrorism and radicalisation and with what effect? Do counter-terrorism measures sufficiently address the local context? What lessons can be learnt from the rising radicalism in Mali and the Sahel region? Session Chair: Amr Abdalla Senior Advisor, Policy Analysis and Research, Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS), Addis Ababa University Peter Otim Expert, Common African Defence and Security Policy, Peace and Security Department, African Union Commission, Addis Ababa Medhane Tadesse Visiting Professor, Kings College London; Senior Security Sector Reform Advisor, African Security Sector Network/ASSN, Addis Ababa Awino Okech Visiting Senior Research Fellow, African Leadership Centre (ALC), King’s College London; Senior Research Associate, University of Johannesburg Abiodun Alao Professor of African Studies, African Leadership Centre (ALC), King’s College London 1930 Conference dinner Wednesday 16 March 0800-0900 Breakfast and checkout 0900-1030 5. Transnational dimensions of conflict and peacebuilding: creating resilience Why are conflicts in Africa rarely confined within the boundaries of a single state? How best to prevent ‘contagion’ of conflicts, for instance, through spill-over of refugees or arms transfers? How far is transnational conflict a result of shared grievances? How effectively is peacebuilding addressing transnational dimensions, including violent conflict, displacement and forced migration? What is the role of diaspora communities? Session Chair: Cyril Obi Program Director, African Peacebuilding Network, Social Science Research Council, New York Salem Mezhoud Head, International Coordination, EUCAP Sahel Niger; Visiting Senior Fellow, African Leadership Centre, King’s College London Mohamed Haji Ingiriis Researcher and writer; Doctoral Candidate, History and African Studies, St Peter's College, University of Oxford 1030-1100 Tea/coffee 1100-1230 6. How far has United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 been implemented in peacebuilding in Africa? The UN Security Council placed women, peace and security on its agenda 15 years ago with the adoption of UNSCR 1325. To what extent have women been included in formal peace processes, or designated as negotiators? Have peace processes in Africa provided opportunities to work towards gender equality and greater participation of women in all levels of government, building economies and institutions that recognise and address the specific challenges women face? Have perpetrators of violations, and in particular crimes against women, been held accountable? How have reparations, truth and reconciliation processes been addressed? Session Chair: Cheryl Hendricks Professor of Political Science; Head, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Johannesburg Pamela Machakanja Director, Institute of Peace, Leadership and Governance, Africa University, Mutare Shuvai Nyoni Head of Interventions, Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation; Chair of the Alumni Association, African Leadership Centre (ALC), Johannesburg 1230-1245 7. eQuestionnaire Participants will be asked to complete a short online questionnaire. 1245-1415 Lunch 1415-1545 8. Resourcing peacebuilding What are the challenges to funding the long-term peacebuilding process in Africa? How can African states mobilise resources for peacebuilding? Who is funding peacebuilding and what are they supporting? How can greater, more consistent and predictable global investment in peacebuilding be secured, including from the private sector? What partnerships might be needed, with international financial institutions or other new sources of financing? Session Chair: Godwin Murunga Director, African Leadership Centre (ALC); Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi Abdalla Hamdok Deputy Executive Secretary and Chief Economist, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Addis Ababa